Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Open window: TV film and extract

In the past﻿ few days, The TV Book Club has uploaded some edited highlights of the transmission to YouTube - and a lovely job they have made too. (Apart from some less than flattering camera angles of the author...I resolve never again to look down while being filmed...nor eat again, obviously.) The whole programme is repeated on Channel 4 on Saturday at 1.20pm.

By lucky coincidence, the opening shots show the book posed on the edge of the fountain at Saignon, mentioned in the previous post. So here it is, only a couple of minutes long, and there is a flavour of the panel's discussion too. Though not the part where Rory McGrath said rather grumpily that there were "too many adjectives"! The others mostly disagreed with him, though Jo Brand looks as if she's on the point of saying something rude. It's a very short edit of the programme. There was a book group discussion too, and those fine people unanimously enjoyed the book, even the men who were sure they wouldn't when they were told what they'd be reading.

And if that has whetted your appetite, the UK publishers Orion have the opening twenty pages or so available to read on their site here.

I saw the full discussion of your novel on 'The TV Book Club' the other day and I thought that the panel's reactions was really encouraging (apart from the 'too many adjectives' comment, what was he talking about!?). The way that you described your novel makes me what to go out and buy a copy, because it sounds really intriguing.

Oh wonderful, i can't get Channel 4, and don't worry you look great dear Deborah, lively, with twinkling eyes and beautiful shiny hair.This must be such an exciting time for you after all the work that went into writing The lantern, enjoy it.I'm going to read the book as soon as i can xx

Rory McGrath is a miserable git :-D His comment actually made me add you to my amazon wishlist for my next purchase :-) The bald chap adored it didn't he as did the others eeee exciting. You must be made up.

I loved your outfit - the fine knit cardigan in particular. And I so enjoyed seeing you on the programme. I also felt that the coverage you received was by far and away positive. They are obliged to mention some dissenting opinions, after all.

What fun seeing and hearing you, and "in situ" at that! The reviewers seemed positive. I plan to linger over the Orion site's excerpt of the book over my morning coffee tomorrow. Thanks for sharing all this.

First of all you have such a lovely voice and I enjoyed seeing scenes from the setting. Can't wait to read the book – even more so now that I've heard you talk about it. This show TV Book Club - I don't think we have it where I live (Virginia USA) but it we did, I'd watch it. Great concept! And congrats on the feature and positive reviews!

About Me

I am a British novelist and sometime journalist. I've loved Provence ever since I first visited more years ago than I care to remember.
My husband and I have a crumbling house in the Luberon, and it is the setting and inspiration for my novel The Lantern, published by Orion in the UK and HarperCollins in the US.
Apart from books, this blog is for all things inspired by the South of France. The original idea was that by the time The Lantern was published, it would contain an archive of relevant background material and photographs to illustrate the story. The Sea Garden was published in summer 2014, and my new novel 300 Days of Sun is out now.